On Sat, 19 May 2007 21:43:59 -0500, "Stephen Sprunk"
wrote:

"Boltar" wrote in message
roups.com...
On 16 May, 21:07, "Paul Scott" wrote:
At a guess, I would think Harrow-on-the-Hill would have
"facilities" (toilet has a realy unfortunate "ring" in American
English).

Why, what do they use "toilets" for over there? Or is it best not to
ask?

"Toilet" here refers to the device itself, not the room it's located in, and
to refer to one by name is generally considered rude or disgusting.

We typically refer to it as the "restroom" or "(wo)men's room" or
"bathroom", though the latter implies there's a bath or shower as well as a
toilet and sink. Females sometimes refer to the facilities as a "powder
room", as in "I have to go powder my nose", which is usually a euphemism.

You Brits do the same thing with "WC"; we haven't managed to shed all the
vestiges of your prudishness, even after 231 years...

As someone born and raised in America who came to the UK at 41 and has now
been here for 14 years, the differences between the US and UK vocabularies is
very interesting.

There is a class distinction here between those who refer to the "toilet" as
the room where the commodes and sinks are placed, and those who refer to it as
a "loo", or some other word. "WC" is hardly ever used except on some signs.

When I got here, I had the most difficult time forcing myself to refer to the
"toilet" when asking permission to go. If you use the word "bathroom" for a
facility without a bath/shower, you're thought of as weird, and using "go to
the bathroom" as a phrase meaning "to pee" is thought extremely bizarre.

--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com

Chris Hansen ty ped


When I got here, I had the most difficult time forcing myself to refer
to the
"toilet" when asking permission to go. If you use the word "bathroom" for a
facility without a bath/shower, you're thought of as weird, and using "go to
the bathroom" as a phrase meaning "to pee" is thought extremely bizarre.

My male American cousin had difficulty getting his head and mouth round
the term 'Gents'.

Surely asking for the Ladies' or Gents' is a fairly neutral way to ask.
Do the Americans ever use the term 'men's room'?

I appreciate it's not common usage west of the Atlantic; pity.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Chris Hansen wrote:

As someone born and raised in America who came to the UK at 41 and
has now been here for 14 years, the differences between the US and UK
vocabularies is very interesting.

There is a class distinction here between those who refer to the
"toilet" as the room where the commodes and sinks are placed, and
those who refer to it as a "loo", or some other word. "WC" is hardly
ever used except on some signs.

When I got here, I had the most difficult time forcing myself to
refer to the "toilet" when asking permission to go. If you use the
word "bathroom" for a facility without a bath/shower, you're thought
of as weird, and using "go to the bathroom" as a phrase meaning "to
pee" is thought extremely bizarre.

I find jumping from foot to foot and saying "I'm about to soil myself" works
in any country.

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
My male American cousin had difficulty getting his head and mouth round
the term 'Gents'.

As do I!

Surely asking for the Ladies' or Gents' is a fairly neutral way to ask.
Do the Americans ever use the term 'men's room'?

Yes, quite frequently. It is perhaps the most common phrase used in
public settings. (Actually, 'ladies' room' is presumably more common.)
--
David of Broadway
New York, NY, USA

On Mon, 28 May 2007 13:08:40 -0400, David of Broadway
wrote:

Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
My male American cousin had difficulty getting his head and mouth round
the term 'Gents'.

As do I!

Surely asking for the Ladies' or Gents' is a fairly neutral way to ask.
Do the Americans ever use the term 'men's room'?

Yes, quite frequently. It is perhaps the most common phrase used in
public settings. (Actually, 'ladies' room' is presumably more common.)

Ooooh! :-)

On Sat, 26 May 2007 16:13:50 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

Chris Hansen wrote:

As someone born and raised in America who came to the UK at 41 and
has now been here for 14 years, the differences between the US and UK
vocabularies is very interesting.

There is a class distinction here between those who refer to the
"toilet" as the room where the commodes and sinks are placed, and
those who refer to it as a "loo", or some other word. "WC" is hardly
ever used except on some signs.

When I got here, I had the most difficult time forcing myself to
refer to the "toilet" when asking permission to go. If you use the
word "bathroom" for a facility without a bath/shower, you're thought
of as weird, and using "go to the bathroom" as a phrase meaning "to
pee" is thought extremely bizarre.

I find jumping from foot to foot and saying "I'm about to soil myself" works
in any country.

An American will just assume permission will automatically be given to use the
toilet, and will therefore ask, "Where's the bathroom?". A Brit, on the other
hand, assumes nothing, and thus asks, "May I use the toilet?"

This, even more than language, divides Americans from Brits.

--
Chris Hansen | chrishansenhome at btinternet dot com
Kevin: "I'm a atheist and I don't want a pervy priest saying any last rites
over me!"
Bob: "Cross-posting top-posters go straight to hell anyway ..."
from alt.obituaries

Chris Hansen wrote:

This, even more than language, divides Americans from Brits.

I've skipped out on a lot of this thread, so apologies if it's been
mentioned before, but the one phrase that always puzzles me about US English
is their use of the term "I could care less" (i.e. I care but not as little
as I could) when what they actually mean, in UK English, is "I COULDN'T care
less" (I care as little as it is possible to do).

Jack Taylor wrote:
Chris Hansen wrote:
This, even more than language, divides Americans from Brits.

I've skipped out on a lot of this thread, so apologies if it's been
mentioned before, but the one phrase that always puzzles me about US English
is their use of the term "I could care less" (i.e. I care but not as little
as I could) when what they actually mean, in UK English, is "I COULDN'T care
less" (I care as little as it is possible to do).

The US version is ironic, whereas the UK version isn't.